WALKER GOES LOW TO TAKE LEAD AT HP BOYS JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Kohles and Cody one stroke behind at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge

ORLANDO, Fla. â€” Christopher Walker of The Woodlands, Texas, sits atop the leaderboard at the halfway point of the HP Boys Junior Championship at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge with a two-round total of 4-under-par 140. With two rounds left to play, 13 players are within five shots of the lead.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the HP Boys Junior Championship is a 72-hole stroke play event being held at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge. The tournament field consists of 78 boys, ages 12-18, from 24 states and four foreign countries. The field is playing the par-72 course, home of the PGA TOUR's Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, at 7,277 yards.

Walker's round of 4-under-par 68 featured an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys. His hole-out eagle on the par-5 fourth kick started a nine-hole stretch that saw him make his five birdies.

â€śDuring those holes I started hitting my irons well and made some short birdie putts,â€ť Walker said. â€śIt always helps when you're making your five-foot putts.â€ť

Walker, who will be attending Notre Dame this fall, played the par-5s in 4-under-par Wednesday and said he hopes to continue to have success on those holes.

â€śMy strategy for the next two rounds is to attack the par-5s and minimize my mistakes on the other holes,â€ť Walker said. â€śAll of the par-5s here are reachable and I think that's where you can do some scoring.â€ť

Ben Kohles of Cary, N.C., and Austin Cody of North Charleston, S.C., sit in a tie for second at 3-under-par 141. Deadlocked in fourth place at 2-under-par 142 are Jace Long of Dixon, Mo., and Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos, Calif.

The 36-hole cut fell at 7-over-par 151 and 41 players advanced to the final two rounds.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA, the largest Association of its kind, has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 49 states and 30 foreign countries.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex Watch USA, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Polo Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play on the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA alumni include Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Davis Love III, Cristie Kerr, Pat Hurst, Paula Creamer, Brittany Lincicome, Morgan Pressel and Julieta Granada.

Third-round tee times for the HP Boys Junior Championship will run from 7-8:33 a.m. off Nos. 1 and 10 tees at Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge. For more information, please call Tournament Headquarters at (407) 876-8082.

The American Junior Golf Foundation is the primary recipient of all charitable giving to the AJGA and as such administers a variety of programs designed to compliment the AJGA and the members and families who make up our community. Learn more about these important programs and how your contributions to the Foundation secure the AJGA’s financial future for future generations to come.

The Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program provides financial assistance to junior golfers who wish to play in AJGA events. Its goal is to give top-flight golf opportunities to young golfers regardless of financial resources. This program helps to fulfill the AJGA’s mission of developing young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

Leadership Links

What is Leadership Links?

Leadership Links is a new program whereby the AJGA is able to further its mission to help develop young men and women by teaching charitable giving skills and service-oriented practices at an early age. This program gives juniors all the tools necessary to donate their time, talent and resources to local charities and the AJGA youth development programs. Please click here to learn more about the program and the different opportunities available.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and
development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.